When Robots Truly Listen: Ameca as a Social Companion in Care

What if technology could become not only smarter, but also more human? Together with our partners, Living Tomorrow explores how innovation can help tackle one of today’s greatest challenges: loneliness in healthcare and elderly care.

With the humanoid robot Ameca, that future becomes tangible. Not as an abstract concept, but as a real-world application already being tested in a care environment today.

Technology that creates a sense of presence

Ameca is far from a conventional robot. When she turns her head, responds to a question or offers a subtle smile, she creates a remarkable sense of presence. Thanks to her advanced facial expressions and natural communication style, conversations feel surprisingly human. It is precisely these small cues that make the difference between technology that simply functions and technology that truly connects.

Behind this natural interaction lies a combination of advanced technologies. Equipped with built-in cameras and microphones, Ameca can listen, observe and respond to her conversation partner. By combining speech recognition with generative AI, conversations flow naturally and intuitively, creating interactions that feel more spontaneous than those of traditional digital assistants.

Together with partners such as Howest and i-mens, the potential of social robots to address societal challenges, including loneliness and wellbeing in care settings, is being explored. By testing and continuously refining the technology in real-life environments, valuable insights are gained that help shape the future of human-centred innovation.

Partners with a shared ambition

The strength of this project lies in the collaboration between technology, research and healthcare. By combining the expertise of multiple partners, Ameca was not only developed as a technological innovation but also tested in a real-world care environment.

Living Tomorrow acted as the innovation hub and catalyst throughout the project. As the owner of Ameca and a living lab for emerging technologies, Living Tomorrow bridged the gap between the robot’s technological capabilities and the real challenges faced by the healthcare sector.

Howest AI Lab led the applied research. Its researchers designed the study, analysed the conversations and investigated how older adults experienced their interactions with Ameca. Their expertise in artificial intelligence and human-technology interaction helped assess not only the robot’s technical performance, but also the social and emotional impact of the conversations.

i-mens, one of Flanders’ largest care organisations, provided the real-life care setting. At SeniorCity Ghent, Ameca engaged with residents and older adults in a familiar environment. Drawing on its extensive experience in elderly care, i-mens helped tailor the robot’s communication style to the needs and preferences of the participants, ensuring a warm and accessible interaction.

In total, 31 older adults spoke with Ameca about familiar topics such as family, hobbies, travel and personal memories. The conversations demonstrated the potential of social robots as a valuable complement to existing care support. Many participants described the interactions as enjoyable and meaningful, while the study also generated important insights into how social robots can be further adapted to different user groups.

These findings now serve as the foundation for future developments. Together with Engineered Arts, the creator of Ameca, improvements are being made to enable more natural conversations, enhanced emotion recognition and a stronger understanding of language and context. As a result, Ameca continues to evolve into a technology that is increasingly aligned with human needs.

Ameca Meets Minister-President Matthias Diependaele

During the press conference, attended by Minister-President Matthias Diependaele, Ameca had the opportunity to demonstrate her capabilities in practice. The encounter highlighted how technology can increasingly contribute to human interaction and wellbeing. Not by replacing caregivers, but by supporting them and creating more space for what truly matters: personal attention, empathy and meaningful human connection. In doing so, Ameca demonstrates how innovation can play a valuable role in shaping the future of care.

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